Bullets for a Dime a Dozen
by Yesm777
Summary: Eli innocently walks into a bank. Of course, not even that goes right. When he finds himself a hostage in a bank robbery, will he survive it? Can Dr. Lightman get his employee and the other captives out alive? Eli abuse
1. An Unlucky Coincidence

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to. **But, I do own this tale. :)_

_Author's Note: Alrighty...This is my new story idea and I'm not sure how good it'll get, so we'll see what you think by the end of this chapter. :) Please let me know if you like it and if you think I should continue! Please read, then tell me what you think! ^.^ Reviews, please!  
_

* * *

**1. An Unlucky Coincidence**

Eli walked into the bank with a sigh. It wasn't often he came to bank, considering he had very little money to put into his account. But, it was his lunch break and he was planning to pick up some groceries after his day at The Lightman Group; this was the only time he had to withdraw what little money his bank account held.

He nearly released an impatient growl when he stepped through the front doors. There was only one teller helping at the counter with five people in line, including a rather elderly woman at the front. This same senior citizen dragged out each word in her old age and asked questions that required irritatingly long answers. Honestly, Eli thought another bank employee should pull her into an office or something to discuss her inquiries; anything to keep the line moving.

The door behind Eli pushed open, sending a rush of wind inside. Great, more people to add to the waiting line.

"Everybody, get your hands up!" shouted a gruff voice, causing Eli to freeze in his place. Slowly, he raised his hands and turned his head discreetly to see who had entered. There were four men altogether, garbed in black clothing, but not bothering to cover their faces. Each one held a pistol and pointed it carefully at each bank employee and member of the waiting line, including Eli. Eli moved his eyes ahead of him again, examining the expressions of his fellow hostages, seeing the expected fear and shock. His heart melted in sympathy when his gaze fell upon the old woman, who stood stunned with the sort of look on her face that made it look like she was about to keel over. The bank employees weren't about to move and the young teller tried to hold back her sobs.

"You people!" the leader addressed, staring at the bank employees menacingly. "Get up here with them." The man gestured towards the poor citizens in the line as Eli continued to stare at the robbers secretly over his shoulder. The bank employees quickly came to the front of the counter, careful not to lag behind or do anything to peeve the new hostile threat before them.

"Everybody, sit on the ground..._now_!" demanded the head thief, and everyone was more than obedient, dropping the floor with haste. There was a small moment of silence and Eli glanced in the direction of the man's gaze. The elderly woman. She still stood, petrified and silent.

"What did I say? Get down, lady!" the man commanded, taking a step forward and making Eli flinch. He was, after all, the closest to the action at this point. The leader leaned his head to the side, his body language and expression stinging with irritation and aggression. Eli knew the gun wasn't just for show. "Do you think I'm kidding? Get on the frickin' ground!" The man's fist curled in frustration and Eli's heart leapt in his chest.

"Wait!" he shouted, jumping up with his hands still raised. What the heck was he doing? He was going to get himself killed! "Don't shoot...please." His mind raced as he realized he was lucky he didn't get shot just for standing so abruptly. Startling a crazy man with a gun didn't seem like a smart move, as it would most certainly end in death. "I'll...I'll help her; j-just don't shoot." Eli pleaded, inching towards the elderly woman. He could feel the other captives' stares of awe and curiosity, inciting a fast-paced pulse within his veins. Like a butter knife making its way through frozen ice cream, the realization that he was the focus of the criminals' attention sunk in. He couldn't let that bother him right now; it wasn't going to help. When he finally made it to the old woman, he slowly brought his hands out of the air, settling them delicately on her shoulders.

"Please, sit down, ma'am." he instructed softly, looking at her with a begging gaze. She nodded slowly and he helped her steadily get down to sit on the ground, seating himself beside her. Only a moment ago, this woman had irritated him for holding up the line, as well as his time. Now, he had somehow assumed the position of her protector. Somebody should do it; if it was his own grandmother, wouldn't he want someone to watch out for her?

"Against the counter, _now_!" the man demanded, and people began scooting towards the side of the counter, leaning against its unusually comforting wood. Eli and the elderly woman were already against it, watching the robbers with careful eyes. So much for getting groceries after work: if Eli made it out alive, he was getting Chinese takeout and planning out a strategy to blackmail Lightman into paying him well over a satisfactory paycheck. Maybe he could just concoct a get-rich-quick scheme and live comfortably while he worked as an unpaid intern at The Lightman Group. Either way, he was disappointed that his life was buried in the depths of bad luck, and it was very possible his short existence was coming to a screeching stop.

The hostages sat in silence while three of the men began their endeavors of robbing the bank. The leader lagged behind, keeping a steady eye on the innocent beings before him. Those who were distraught enough to let out small whimpers earned themselves a quieting glare from the captor, who paced along the line warningly. In the distance, the sound of muffled sirens vibrated through the air and Eli watched as the man's face contorted to one of pure fury.

"Who triggered the silent alarm?" the leader yelled, directing his gun at each bank employee with vehemence in his body language. Eli was nervous, and the strange feeling of obligation wouldn't allow him to refuse protecting the other hostages. He knew whether or not the gunman was serious; he was the _only _one who was sure. Besides, he had only ever been a researcher in a quiet office; if he tagged along on field work, he didn't witness such brutal violence as cold-blooded murder. Eli wouldn't be able to stand it, and he suspected that the old woman wouldn't either. Heck, none of those captives probably could, so why _shouldn't_ Eli try and prevent such hostility? If he was going to die anyway, it might as well be for a worthy cause.

"Who was it, hm? Nobody's going to say?" the man growled. "I might as well kill all of you stupid bankers; you're no use to me." Eli watched the man's finger slightly pull at the trigger, his heart stopping from the stress of the moment. Again, he jumped up, his arms raised in peace.

"No! Don't!" he yelled, panting from the adrenaline flooding his body. Why was he doing this? He couldn't be sure.

But, he was scared out of his wits.

* * *

"Lightman!"

Cal turned to see Agent Reynolds jogging towards him and his face pulled into one of confusion.

"What is it, Reynolds?" Cal inquired, shoving his hands in his pockets casually.

"I just got a call about a bank robbery and hostage situation in the works." Ben explained, his face reflecting the seriousness of the event.

"What?" Cal inquired, squinting as he looked intently at Reynolds.

"My superiors are hoping you can help in this case." Ben sighed. "You are an approved negotiator, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Cal replied, heading back the way he came towards the lab. "Can you get video feed?" Ben followed, effortlessly keeping up with the scientist's pace.

"Yeah; apparently we have access to the cameras in the bank lobby." the agent explained. Cal pushed open the door into the lab, scanning the room quickly for employees. There was only one computer tech and a lone Ria sitting idly in a chair, waiting for commands. She had developed boredom from the lack of activity at the office, though she was now sitting on the edge of her seat when excitement trailed in with Cal and Ben.

"Get into the camera feed." Cal ordered Reynolds, then swept the room once more with his eyes.

"Where in the bloody world Loker?" he asked Ria, sounding bothered. She shrugged in reply.

"He said he had an errand to run; maybe he's held up somewhere." she suggested. Torres glanced between Cal and the serious FBI agent, anxious to know if some important case just came up.

"What's going on?" she queried as Reynolds finished his quick tapping on the computer keys.

"Bank robbery and hostages." Ben replied curtly, finishing the connection to the bank cameras and putting up the image on the large plasma screen for a clearer view. Cal ran his vision over the scene, his eyes fierce and eager to read the culprits of the crime. Almost as soon as his sight started the examination, they stopped abruptly on a head of dark, brunette waves.

"Torres, who do you think tha' is?" Cal inquired, unsure if he was seeing the picture right. She narrowed her eyes, as did Reynolds, and stared at the man Cal was pointing at. Ria gasped as she soon realized who it was.

"Loker." she sighed, fear gripping her heart. Not only was he a hostage in this hazardous occurrence, but he was the only one standing with a gun aimed at his chest. What did Eli get himself into?

"What in the bloody name of heaven and earth is he doing?" Cal asked angrily, his concern spilling out in the form of frustration and stress. Of course, his question went unanswered, as everyone was as privy to the information as he was: nobody knew anything.

"I would kill for some audio on this thing." Reynolds growled, watching the young researcher raising his hands higher and conversing with the captor. Ben had no idea what was going on and it was torturing him.

"I want a phone number." Cal ordered.

* * *

Eli's brain felt like it was thinking a million miles a minute. He was searching for the right words to say, and the several emotions rushing through his body caused the letters and ideas to blur past his thoughts. Sometimes he would catch the right words...sometimes he didn't.

"L-look, they're t-trained to automatically press the silent alarm; any one of them could've activated it." Eli stuttered, nervous at the fact he could find a bullet in his chest any second now. The bank employees glanced fearfully at him, unsure if he was really helping or just making things worse. "But, they're more useful in this situation than you think. The more hostages you have, the more leverage you have against the cops." Eli pointed out quickly. Honestly, he wasn't sure if more captives would help the thieves' case, but it was worth a shot. "Plus, I'm sure they know more about the bank than your guys do." The man's expression and stance relaxed and Eli allowed himself a small glimmer of relief.

"You have a point." the man snarled, gazing at Eli carefully. Small sighs sounded from the line of hostages and Eli internally celebrated the tiny victory. "But, you're really getting on my nerves." The man aimed his gun more thoroughly at Eli.

Time to panic?

* * *

_Author's Note: I've read quite a few bank robbery fanfictions and I've seen a few shows that have taken advantage of such an idea, so I thought I'd try it out too. :P Remember to please review! Should I continue this story? Do you like it?_


	2. The Importance of Persuasion

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Hm...I'm really trying to decide whether or not I should make this an Eli whumping story or not. I mean, that's usually what I've done, but maybe people don't want to read that over and over (I do...). What do you guys think? Feedback? Thanks for all the reviews and support from the first chapter! I really appreciated it. :) Alright, I hope you enjoy this next chapter... and, as always, please review! :D  
_

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**2. The Importance of Persuasion**

The phone rang. And to Eli's relief, the man trudged over to answer it, though his gun was still aimed at Eli. The man's hand floated over the phone, hesitant to pick it up. Suddenly, without warning, he snatched the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said, a certain darkness painting his tone. His eyes bore into Eli's face as he listened, making the young researcher nervous. "Dr. Lightman?" Before Eli could stop it, his face moved into an expression of shock. Quickly, he tried to hide it, fidgeting with hopes of blending it in with his pointless squirming. But, it wasn't enough to distract the thief and Eli could read the suspicion on his guise. Fear coursed through Eli as he imagined the consequences to his reaction. Proving you knew the negotiator probably wouldn't end well. When you know the people on the other side of that line, it was easy to assume you were a cop, or somehow connected with them. In Eli's limited experience, he had the funny feeling that criminals really hated the police.

"Yeah, yeah, doctor. You're here to help, blah, blah, blah...I really don't care." the man growled, slamming the phone down soon after and causing the poor captives to flinch in reply. Rapidly, he made his way to Eli and grabbed him by the collar. Quiet cries of surprise inflicted the hostages and Eli found himself attempting to quell the panic within him.

"What do you know?" the leader shouted, pressing his gun to Eli's chin.

"I...I..." Eli couldn't think and was stuck staring at his captor fearfully. The cold metal of the gun wasn't comforting for his frantic thoughts either, and he was sure he was about to get a bullet lodged in his brain.

"Who is Dr. Lightman to you?"

* * *

Cal slowly put down the phone with an air of lamentation. He'd spoken nicely to keep the bizarre lunatic unprovoked to anger or violence. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work anyway.

"What's he doing to Eli?" Ria asked with bending emotions, moving towards the big screen. The team stared with bated breath as they watched Eli in the grasp of his captor, the threat of a gun pressed against his chin. Behind them, the door to the lab flew open.

"Hey, the secretary told me there was a...Oh my heavens!" Gillian gasped as she rushed into the room to get a better look at the screen. Her hands clapped to her mouth as her soft eyes beheld the scene. "Is that...Is that who I think it is?" she asked, looking around herself quickly to make sure.

"I'm 'fraid it is, love." Cal sighed, his own gaze glued to the situation at hand. He picked up the phone again, redialing the bank's line. The team watched as the crook was startled by the call, then composed himself and chose to ignore it, instead violently shaking Eli as though it were part of a sick interrogation. Cal continued to listen through the ring tones, hoping...waiting. The thief grabbed Eli by the back of the neck and pushed him towards the phone. Loker was shoved against the counter and the team suspected he was being ordered to do something by his captor. Shakily, Eli picked up the phone and pulled it up to his ear.

_"H-hello?"_ he answered. Cal almost thought it was unreal to watch Eli going through this and hearing him on the other end of the line. But, he had to admit, he was pleased to hear Eli's voice.

"Loker!" Cal exclaimed. The Loker on the screen looked as if he was having trouble standing, using the counter for heavy support.

_"Lightman...I slipped." _Eli muttered, sounding ashamed. _"He knows I know you."_ Cal honestly didn't care what Eli had done up to that point, as long as it had kept him alive.

"That's okay, Loker, it's okay." Cal assured him. "Are you okay? Is everybody in there alright?"

_"I-I'm fine, they're fine; everything's alright."_ Eli responded, much to Cal's happiness. Cal observed another member of the robbery team approaching the leader, talking quietly between themselves. The two looked at Eli with interest and Cal could feel his chest tighten. The two left the lobby to someplace out of reach of the cameras.

What did that mean?

* * *

When Eli saw the two men leave the lobby, he allowed himself to sit on the floor with the phone still in his hand. He suddenly felt exhausted, and he contributed it to stress and fear.

"They're gone." Eli whispered, glancing around himself for some sort of escape. Perhaps he could slip a few of the hostages out the door before the leader came back. But the risks...he would risk his own life and those of the other captives. His eyes caught on the vision of the elderly woman, huddled with a young woman and weeping silently. She needed to get out of here; she was far too old for this sort of strain.

_"Did you see where they went?" _Lightman queried.

"Out? I don't know, I wasn't paying that close of attention." Eli replied wearily, rubbing his face with one hand. He ran his eyes along the line of hostages, seeing their inquisitive stares directed at him.

_"Do they know _how_ you know me?"_ Cal probed, and Eli wasn't certain if it was out of concern for his employee or not. You could never tell with that old coot of a scientist.

"No, but I'm sure I went down a dozen of points in their book." Eli sighed. "I'm definitely out of their favor."

_"Well, be sure not to hint anything, alright? And, why don't you actually _try_ to lie? As talented as you may be at detecting lies, you're a lousy liar." _Cal pointed out. _"Try and keep those idiots calm so they don't shoot anybody; we're watching you on camera and we don't want to see any murders. It might take awhile for the FBI to figure out a safe way to deal with this."_

"Right, got it." Eli huffed. "So, I assume Reynolds is there with you?"

_"Yup, practically right next to me." _Cal answered.

There were quick taps of feet on the marble flooring and Eli knew his enemies were returning.

"They're back." he hissed into the receiver. The leading criminal entered the lobby alone, his face twisted with heavy hate.

"You work with the FBI?!" he yelled, lifting up the gun in one quick movement.

"No! Don't—!" Eli protested as he stood up swiftly, just as the man pulled the trigger and the crack of a gunshot echoed through the lobby.

* * *

Cal's hand tightened around the phone as he beheld the video feed before him. The crook had pulled the trigger...but the bullet had missed its mark. Eli was quickly checking himself over for bullet holes, relaxing when he found none. The team only had a few seconds to be washed over with relief before the man refocused his gun and sent them back into a dizzying world of tight lungs and frantic thoughts.

_"No, no! Wait!"_

Cal could hear Eli's voice faintly on the other end of the phone, as the bank's was dangling down the side of the counter.

_"I can talk to them for you; I can help negotiate for your end."_

Cal watched the screen, hoping the thief would take the offer. If he didn't...Sayonara to Eli Loker. There was a long pause, and the team continued to stare with hopeful eyes.

* * *

Eli could tell the man couldn't decide. His countenance was jumping back and forth between yes and no, and Loker could only wait: he didn't want to say anything stupid and risk his chance of surviving. Silence.

"No." replied the man, again lifting his gun and inciting cries of alarm from the hostages as they huddled together in fear for Eli.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Eli said quickly, holding his hands up as though they could protect him from a bullet. "If you shoot me, or...or any of them," Eli gestured to the captives. "I can tell you right now that my boss won't be making any nice deals with you. He and the FBI will do whatever it takes to get the rest of these people out safely." Eli wasn't really sure what Reynolds would do, but he had to say something for his own survival. Radical honesty was forgotten, since he knew full well that that would most likely earn a shot to the head.

"Fine." snarled the thief, lowering his weapon. Eli nearly collapsed from how relieved he felt at that moment, but steadied himself by clinging to the counter.

One of the other robbers came from the back of the bank, standing just a bit away from Loker.

"What?" barked the leader.

"We're having a bit of a problem with the safe." sighed the other man in reply, folding his arms. "We can't get through." The boss let out a growl of frustration and looked about himself impatiently.

"You." he ordered, pointing at one of the more seasoned bank employees. "Go open the safe." The middle-aged man stared with wide eyes, obviously reluctant to walk into a possible death trap.

"I said, go!" the leader repeated, now about to walk over and pull the man up himself.

"No, no, wait." Eli panted. "Let somebody go with him; he's just scared, he doesn't want to go alone." The banker nodded slowly as his pleading eyes addressed the crook. Eli tried to steady himself further and strengthen his muscles, but he was, frankly, all out of energy. "I'll go with him." he volunteered, despite the fact that he wasn't about to walk anywhere. Somewhere between the moment the criminals walked through the bank doors and now, he had become the representative and leader of the captives. He watched over them and he kept them protected; it had somehow become his duty and his obligation. He wasn't really one for leadership, but now that it demanded it, he took it without complaint. Besides, he didn't have the energy or the time to waste on complaints.

"No, I'll go." said another bank employee; a woman that looked to be somewhere in her thirties. "I'll go with Stan." Eli supposed Stan was the originally chosen banker and he was extremely grateful for the bravery of the woman. He glanced at her with a thankful expression, which she acknowledged with a nod, just before the two bankers stood up to follow the second man towards the back of the bank. The boss of the criminals shot Eli a hateful look, then trailed behind the exiting group. As soon as he was gone, Eli dropped to the ground, his knees finally having given out.

"I'm glad that woman went instead of you." whispered the elderly woman. Eli looked at her with a weak smile. The rest of the line of hostages nodded in agreement with the old lady, their faces determined, though scared.

"Is it horrible to say I am too?" he mumbled back, taking a few deep breaths as he calmed himself. Shakily, he took hold of the dangling telephone and put it to his ear.

"Lightman?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Woo! Tense...Alrighty, thanks for reading! :D Now, please review? ;)_


	3. It's Amazing What Hunger Can Do

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Enjoy, then please review. :)  
_

* * *

**3. It's Amazing What Hunger Can Do**

"_Lightman?"_

Cal snapped back into focus as he clearly heard the strained voice on the other end.

"You alright, Loker?" he asked, glancing at his teammates around the room.

_"I'm alive."_ Loker chuckled nervously, sounding a bit like he was at the end of his rope. Well, he had the right to; he had nearly been shot and they still weren't sure if Eli would ever be able to get back home and laugh it all off in his Loker-like fashion.

"How did they know you were connected to the FBI?" Cal thought aloud. "I don't remember you ever mentioning it on your end." All that was heard on Eli's end was quick breathing and weary sighs. Then, it hit Cal. "They're listening in on our calls."

_"What? Huh?" _Eli muttered, sounding as if he was spacing out.

"They're listening in on our calls, Loker." Cal growled, frustrated. Eli said nothing, just inhaled deeply and exhaled the same way.

_"Well, Lightman, we need to get some of these people out." _Eli explained. _"What are you willing to give these guys?"_

"What am I willing?" Cal scoffed. "I'm not willing to give them anything! But, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

_"Why are you even on this case?" _Eli hissed. _"Is it because Reynolds wanted you to see if this guy was serious? 'Cause I think he's pretty serious."_

"Would you rather have some idiot of the FBI doing negotiations? How well would that go, huh?" Cal argued, intent on defending himself.

_"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be in this bad of a mess! I'd probably be sitting quietly with the rest of the hostages."_

"When have you ever been quiet!?"

_"Oh, yeah, like you are? You blab about the FBI and I get a gun in my face!"_

"I'll put a gun in your face!"

"Stop that!" Gillian demanded, snatching the phone from Cal. "Loker, it's Foster."

_"Ah, finally; someone with sense."_ Gillian smiled.

"What's going on?" she inquired.

_"We need to get some of these hostages out and I need to know what your end is willing to give in exchange." _Eli sighed. _"I'd appreciate an answer pretty soon...as in, preferably, now."_

"Right, I catch the urgency, but maybe you should discuss it with your guys first. What do they want? Maybe some food or something?" Gillian replied. She couldn't believe she had just said 'your guys' as if Eli was now a part of the thieving group, but it had slipped out.

_"Right...okay then..." _Eli huffed._ "I'll just...go talk with the psycho guys right now..."_

"Don't use any radical honesty." Gillian teased, attempting to lighten up the situation. Of course, how far could a joke go in this sort of event?

_"Yeah, yeah..." _Eli replied, and a hesitant minute later, he hung up the phone.

Gillian slowly put down the lab phone and looked at the screen, watching Eli pull himself up off the floor with some difficulty and talking with the other captives. She smirked, then calmly turned to Cal. She smiled at him sweetly.

_Slap._

"What is your problem!?" she shouted.

"Hey, he started it!" Cal protested, putting up his hands in defense.

"Quit bickering!" Ria interjected, stepping between the two. "This is no time for this crap. _Focus_."

* * *

Eli didn't know how well negotiating with crooks would go, but it was necessary and there was no possible way around it. Actually, there was, but that would include death somewhere in the equation...

"Are you guys okay?" he asked the other hostages, who nodded slowly in reply.

"Are _you_ okay?" queried the elderly woman, staring at him. He smiled. She reminded him of his own grandmother, but he couldn't quite find the right words to describe her.

"I'm fine." he whispered, his quiet reply oddly loud in the silent lobby. Sure, he was fine, if you didn't count the sudden faintness, the dizzying nausea and the fear that he would do something stupid and get them all killed. From now on, breakfast may be a wise idea; perhaps it was the most important meal of the day when you planned on being a hostage in a bank robbery. Heck, even lunch would've been great right now. But, no. He went to the bank for his lunch break, therefore, he had gotten no lunch. No food, no energy, no luck. How in heaven's name was he going to make it through _this _day when he had trouble trudging through a _normal_ day? If he didn't get shot, he was probably going to die of overexertion. Either way, it was a pretty...interesting way to go.

"Hey, I hear you're trying to make a deal." the leader said gruffly as he reentered the lobby. The prisoners huddled together in fear, hoping that if they stuck together, they would somehow be protected.

"Yes, my...boss is willing to give you something in exchange for hostages." Eli explained bravely. He wasn't going to mention the deal was originally meant for only a few of the imprisoned citizens, if the man hadn't already been told, in hopes that they could work out a deal for all of them to be released.

"If I give away my hostages...what do I have left against the police?" scoffed the man, looking at Eli like he was an idiot. Eli took a deep breath, glancing at the line of captives.

"You'll have me; I'll stay." he offered. Ah, heck, he was already this deep in; why not just jump the rest of the way? "There's no way the FBI will let me get shot." That wasn't necessarily true, as Eli recalled that Reynolds wasn't on very...friendly terms with him. But, at least the rest of the hostages would be released.

The crook narrowed his eyes in Eli's direction, thinking it through. Loker silently prayed for a small blessing, though keeping his sights on the man.

"Alright, I'll keep you and the two bankers in the back." agreed the criminal. "Everyone else can go free when we get a good meal through those doors." Eli looked at him with confusion, unsure if it was a joke or not. Could he really be willing to trade captives for something as trivial as food?

"Look here: my man heard some talk about trading for food over that phone call of yours, and we haven't eaten since yesterday. Besides, you'd be doing us a favor by getting rid of these sniveling brats. As long as we have three hostages and some food, we'll let them go." the man snarled, irritated with Eli's puzzlement. So, it was that easy. He couldn't blame them; if he had hostages at his disposal, he probably would've gotten some food too.

"Call your friends and set up the deal. Tell them that when it gets here, we want the delivery boys to come straight up the door for you to take. Then, we'll give them hostages." the man ordered, stepping a bit out of the lobby to talk quietly with one of the other thieves.

Eli picked up the phone and dialed The Lightman Group and added the extension numbers to the lab. Then, he waited. Soon, half his worry could be walking out those doors.

* * *

"Oi, Loker." Lightman answered, having been watching his employee communicate with the crook.

_"Lightman, I got a deal," _Loker sighed. _"and it's a pretty good one."_

"Well, wha' is it then?" Cal inquired, eager to know of what Loker had secured.

_"He'll release all the hostages besides two others and me if you bring them some food." _Eli relayed. Cal counted hostages on his fingers, then subtracted the three that were to stay. It wasn't much, but it was much more than he originally expected.

"What does he want? Fast food? Chinese? Did he say?" Cal asked.

_"I have the impression that they really don't care what it is as long as it's good and edible." _Eli muttered.

"I don't know about edible, but fast food should work, shouldn't it?" Cal suggested, looking at Gillian. She had a hand settled over her mouth and a worried stare in her eyes.

_"I'm pretty sure they'll take it."_ Eli answered as his figure on the screen looked about him fearfully. _"Tell the delivery guys to bring it straight up to the door and I'll take it personally. After it's in, they'll release the hostages...and, please, make it quick."_

"That is why it's called fast food." Cal mumbled just before Eli hung up the phone. Lightman turned to his comrades, glancing at each of them.

"We've got a deal."

* * *

Eli seated himself beside the old woman and allowed himself a moment of relaxation while he waited for the transaction to begin. Actually, as much relaxation as he was allowed.

"Alright, you guys will be getting out of here soon." Eli promised the line. They all seemed to be friends now, not bonded by conversation or similar interests, but just by sharing a stressful situation where fighting wasn't helpful and friendship was forced. They appreciated each other's company, because it meant they didn't have to pull through this alone.

"What about you?" whispered the young woman on the other side of the old lady.

"I'm...I'm staying here." Eli answered hesitantly. As he imagined them escaping through those doors, rushing out to safety and aid, he couldn't help but feel a longing to do the same. He would be stuck here, in this crazy place with those psycho people. His safety wasn't guaranteed, nor was it coming so soon. At least he could share his last conversations with his deranged boss, who really wasn't so deranged when you depended on him for a familiar voice to speak to. Nah, he was still deranged...in his own Cal Lightman way.

"But...uh..." Eli looked around himself, standing up slightly to grab a pad of paper sitting idly on the counter with a pen and scribbling a quick message on it. He tore the page off, somehow dodging the crooks' notice. "When you get out, call this number and read Dr. Cal Lightman this message." Eli handed the young woman the note, but avoided her gaze entirely. She opened it up to preview it, gasping at the contents.

"No!" she exhaled. The old lady between them looked alarmed, curious as to what the note entailed.

"What is it? What does it say?" she whispered, looking between Eli and the woman.

"I'm not saying they have to do it, it's just...if all else fails..." Eli trailed off, risking a look at the criminals still conversing in the shadows beside the lobby. "Just read it to Dr. Lightman; make sure he's the one on the phone." Hesitantly she nodded, her eyebrows pulled up in sorrow. The old woman huffed with frustration that she wasn't let in on the secret while the other hostages looked on with evident curiosity.

What was the message?


	4. A Rest From Stress

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Sorry, this is a bit of a filler, but I feel it's necessary. :P It's kind of all Eli too... Hopefully, you still enjoy. :) Thanks for the reviews and support! I run on that kind of loving attitude. :D  
_

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**4. A Rest from Stress**

"Ah, finally: food is here." growled the leading crook. Eli's head snapped up from its hung position as he watched two delivery boys with the facial expressions of cops approach the glass doors. Obviously, they weren't really from the fine establishment of fast food. The glass doors were the only uncovered windows to the outside world, and Eli had noticed that none of the thieves even took a step in front of them for fear they would be shot down by a sniper or something.

"Get out there and get the goods." the man ordered Eli, and Eli slowly lifted himself from the floor. He was still frightened as to what their captors would do, but he decided that pushing himself needlessly wasn't worth coming out of this unscathed. As far as he was concerned, he could take his sweet time getting the food...as long as it was a _reasonable_ sweet time.

Eli walked towards the front of the bank and pushed the door open about a foot: just wide enough to collect the paper food bags and still manage a quiet 'thank you' to the undercover cops. As soon as he had the food in his hands, he turned his heel and walked back into the bank, just as the delivery cops did the same walking _away_.

"Alright, everybody get out of here! If you don't leave now, there's no guarantee you ever will." threatened the main man, holding his gun in a menacing position. Eli set the food down on the bank counter and quickly helped up the old lady, whom the young woman was having trouble lifting from the floor. He helped the pair of women as the crook watched him suspiciously, but the man didn't bother stopping the researcher.

"You are such a nice young man." complimented the senior citizen as they aided her hobble across the bank floor.

"Glad to help." Loker replied, trying hard to toughen up his features and hide his sorrow and longing. He just had to keep telling himself that almost all the hostages were getting out; he'd at least helped with that. He had to stay here in order to let them go out that door to freedom, and he wasn't about to back down on the agreement.

"Good luck and...thank you." whispered the young woman sympathetically as he relinquished his help at the bank door. With a single nod of acknowledgement, Eli continued to gaze as the captives filed out, running when they found themselves free of their temporary prison. Of course, everyone but the old and young women; they were in no hurry. None of the other hostages looked back on the horrid place, but, rather, dove into the gathering of police. The elderly lady and her sidekick took one last glance back to see the lonely Eli standing behind the glass door.

"Get back here!" barked the crook, causing Eli to turn away from his watch and head back into the gloom and darkness of the bank. "Sit down." Eli sat again against the counter, right under the phone and shot a dark look at his captor. Luckily, the man wasn't looking, as he was investigating the fast food on the counter. Eli's demeanor quickly changed when the man held out a paper-wrapped hamburger to him.

"Looks like they planned enough for the remaining hostages." he grumbled. Eli took the hamburger slowly, though he was very gracious for the sustenance. He knew this man didn't have to give him anything, but he had anyway; a small spark of respect started within the young lie detector. "Plus, I don't want you breaking down on me out of hunger or somethin'. You're friggin' skinny as it is." Eli could read the man's embarrassment and smirked, but he chose to say nothing.

"Now, don't you dare leave, or I'll shoot the other two hostages." the man threatened, grabbing the rest of the food and disappearing to the back of the bank. Eli looked at the front door, realizing he had a chance to escape, yet he didn't have the guts to flee knowing it would cost the lives of two people. He'd stay.

He ate his hamburger in silence, the only noise being the ridiculously crackly paper. Not only did he have the thief to thank for this, but his team too. They had originally ordered with the three captives in mind; oh, how he would thank them. He may be miserable on so many different levels in this place, but, still, he was getting a free meal! He was finally getting something filling, something that didn't involve adding water and popping it in the microwave at the grand price of ninety-nine cents. This was real...as real as fast food gets. Sure, it was unhealthy if eaten too much, but it was guiltily delicious. Besides, with how his stress levels were looking these days, what's a chunk of fast food on top of that? He was on his way to an early grave anyway, so bring on the bites of sweet, sweet unhealthiness. His stomach had adjusted to his days of low food supplies and money troubles, so the single hamburger was more than enough to fill him up. Halfway through the meal, he was stuffed. Even so, he hadn't felt that full in _way_ too long and he sure as heck missed the feeling. He wrapped up the remaining half of the burger, hoping to save it for later. If he was still here by the time he had room enough to munch on it, then he would have something to eat. If not, it would still be just as appreciated at home. There was no way he'd forget to grab it before he ran out those glass doors.

Eli jumped as the phone rang. Right, he was in charge of that. He struggled to stand, his body still tired from all the exertion from the event, and picked up the phone.

"Hello." he said light-heartedly, too overjoyed by the fact he was full and that there wasn't anybody around to bark orders to him. Not even the fact that someone was probably listening in on the call bogged his spirit down.

_"Did you enjoy your late lunch, Loker?" _Lightman asked on the other end, a smile in his voice; it was most likely caused by Eli's happy answer to the telephone.

"Ah, geez, Lightman. It was the _best_ lunch I've had for awhile." Eli said truthfully.

_"Is that so...?" _Cal muttered, unsure if Eli meant that the food was literally better than most of his lunches or not.

"Definitely, thank you so much." Eli replied. "Oh, and, as you can see on your camera, everybody is out."

_"Yeah, that's wonderful. Our next negotiation will be getting the rest of you out." _Cal informed his employee, quickly getting over Loker's gracious behavior.

"No, no, they'll never let me go. They have to keep one of us for insurance." Eli disagreed, looking behind the counter to find a place to hide his half a hamburger for safety.

_"Then what do you propose we do, genius?" _Lightman scoffed, sounding offended that his authority was shot down so easily.

"We need a good deal to offer for the other two." Eli thought aloud, thinking on a whole new level with a full stomach. Still, his voice was strained and it wasn't easily shaken off. "They're being forced to open the safe or something for those guys, so there probably won't be any use for them after the job's done. Actually, here they come now." The two bankers walked quickly with their hands raised, one thief behind each one of them, obviously holding a gun to their backs.

"Get on the floor next to him." ordered the leader, who was behind the bank employee named Stan. The two bankers scurried to hide behind Loker, quickly seating themselves against the counter.

"Have a bite to eat, too." said the man, tossing each one a burger from one of the fast food bags he brought back with them. Eli waited patiently for the ordeal to be over before he addressed the man.

"Will you consider making a deal for these two?" Eli offered, his voice softer with the recognition of who he was speaking to. "You can still have me." The two bank employees looked up at Eli, hopeful expressions passing over their faces. The crook took out a burger and unwrapped it, staring at Eli the entire time as the look of thought settled on his guise. Even after he'd taken a bite of his meal, he looked contemplative.

"What are your people willing to give?" he finally said, his mouth full. Eli thought for a moment, hesitating on asking Lightman at all. Besides, he was the one here, experiencing this. He knew what freedom was worth to these hostages.

"Name something off, and I'll check with my own boss." Eli answered briskly, eager to get this over with and send the last two out the doors. "I thought hostages only caused you trouble..."

"They do!" agreed the man gruffly, furrowing his brow with thought again. "But, I better get something good for their release. I don't want to throw away a good bargain."

"Alright, name your price and I'll see what I can arrange." Eli told him, looking at him with a serious expression. Personally, Eli didn't think this was about any bargain for Lightman's end. A human life couldn't possibly be measured by material things.

"Hm..." the man hummed as he chewed his burger bite. He looked to his companion eating beside him, who shrugged and passed the torch of decision back to his leader.

_"What's going on, Loker?"_

Eli ignored Cal as he continued to look at the man before him. The bankers had begun eating their own meals, though they still watched the silent interaction with interest.

"Let me discuss this with my boys." the thief muttered, picking up his food and tapping his companion to follow him.

"Yada, yada, yada, don't leave or we'll shoot you guys; the rigmarole." This time it was the crony that gave the now overused threat. If the three remaining hostages hadn't understood the consequences of leaving by now, they just weren't thinking.

"Thank you for trying." sighed the woman, taking another bite of her food.

"Hey, don't give up just yet; I'll get you guys out." Eli promised. She took a deep breath and he could see the doubt infecting her face muscles.

"Uh, yeah, Lightman...I'll call you back when I get something." Eli rasped, slowly putting down the phone and sitting beside the two bank employees.

"Come on, I'm not going to let you stick around here." Eli whispered, checking quickly over his shoulder for the bad guys.

"Right, what they probably want will be more than D.C.'s willing to give." she mumbled, chewing.

"Look, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here." Eli repeated. "If you quit on me already, I'll be forced to take action and sing you a children's song about white lies." She smiled, tears filling her eyes.

"You know, I've got some kids at home." she told him hoarsely. Eli nodded understandingly.

"How old?"

"One's eleven, and the other is fourteen; he just started high school this year." the woman replied sorrowfully, sounding a bit choked up.

"How about you? Got kids?" Eli asked Stan.

"Three teenage girls." he chuckled. "I sent one off to college last August..." The two silently ate their hamburgers as Eli pondered the unfortunate event.

"What about you? Got anything in your life?" the woman asked, reaching out for Eli to share in this time of need. He shook his head sadly; he didn't really have anything.

"I'm just a young guy working two jobs and living off of instant noodles." he joked. "At least my day job boss is crazy: it makes work interesting." The two middle-aged people stared at the young man with sympathy, unsure of what to say in reply to his explanation. "But," Eli started unexpectedly. "it makes this situation a definite step up from my current life." He laughed quietly for effect. "I actually get food here!" He was hoping this would make them feel less guilty for when they left him behind, seeing as he would make _sure_ they would be leaving him behind.

"As for you two," he addressed, looking at the bankers. "you are going to go home to those kids of yours." They sat quietly for another minute or two, Stan and the woman working on their hamburgers while Eli rested for awhile.

"I have a question." Eli announced, though in a soft tone. His eyes were still closed and he leaned his head on the wood paneling of the counter as though preparing for a nap. "Why did you volunteer to go with Stan instead of me?" The woman was silent for a moment as she swallowed down the last bite of her meal.

"I don't know...you just remind me a little of my son." she confessed. "You've thrown yourself out there for all the hostages and I could see you couldn't handle much more. I guess my motherly instincts kicked in; I couldn't bear to watch you do any more to yourself." Stan nodded in agreement, even though Eli couldn't see him through his shut eyes.

"Ah, this wasn't the first time I had a gun in my face." he chuckled, smirking as he thought back to the hostage situation that had taken place at The Lightman Group before. He had to pose as some criminal just to save Lightman from a crazed, young widower and he had to face a gun aimed at him. But, in that case, Reynolds was standing right next to him and he was quite certain he wasn't about to be shot. Here, there was no Reynolds, and the feeling was very different.

Eli cracked his eyes open a little to look at the two others. They looked stunned and gazed at him inquiringly. He couldn't hold back the grin.

"The crazy boss comes with a crazy job. Every day is an adventure." he replied.

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_Author's Note: Please review! I would loooooooove it._


	5. The Recipe for Disaster

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to.**_

_Author's Note: Oh my goodness gracious! Sorry it's been so long, peoples! Busy school week... Um, right, hope you enjoy! :) And please review!  
_

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**5. The Recipe for Disaster**

Cal didn't hesitate when the phone rang. He snatched it up and looked at the screen, soon slouching when he realized the caller wasn't Loker. He and the two bank employees still sat on the floor.

"Hello?" he grumbled, having no other choice but to answer it.

"Dr. Lightman? Is there a Dr. Lightman available?" the voice sounded weary, but determined. This woman had the tone of someone carrying out a mission.

"Yeah, that's me." he replied, puzzled.

"I have a message from… your employee." she explained, obviously realizing that she didn't know Eli's name. This woman was, apparently, one of the released hostages.

"Wha'?" he voiced. "Why didn't he just tell me over the phone?"

"I don't think this is something he wanted to say over the phone; he specifically gave it to me as a note. He didn't even tell it to me verbally." she informed the Englishman.

"Well, then, wha' is it?" Cal pressed, now impatient to hear this message. What could the fool have to say that he couldn't tell him in any…conventional way.

"He says…" she muttered, hesitating for a few seconds. Cal waited patiently, trying to exercise some kindness towards the probably traumatized hostage. "He says you can leave him behind."

"What in the world does that mean?" he demanded, taken off guard by the message. It just didn't seem like something Eli would say. How _could_ he say that? Did he really believe that Cal would be so willing to just throw away his employees life? Catching criminals was important to Lightman, right, but his researcher should've known better than to think that his rescue wasn't Cal's highest priority. Or…maybe Eli understood that was his thinking. Maybe _Eli's _highest priority was getting these guys caught and jailed. Maybe it was Loker's way of saying Reynolds had a green light as soon as the other two hostages were let go. Eli didn't care if he was caught in the crossfire.

"I…" the woman said quietly, unsure of how to answer Cal's order. "He's a good man, Dr. Lightman. I don't think he wants anyone else to get hurt."

"So the idiot throws himself into danger." sighed Cal. "Alright, thank you."

"Mmhm." the woman hummed and the two hung up. Cal leaned on the desk as his mind swam: how was he going to get out of this? Was it possible he _had_ to disregard Eli's life? No, no, not a chance. He never _had _to…right? There was another way; there must be.

"What was that about?" Gillian asked as Cal looked up to the plasma screen, watching the young lie detector converse with the bank employees. Eli was just too rash, and Cal was going to fight for a safe alternative to end this.

"Apparently, that fool of an employee has offered to throw his life away to bring this rubbish to a finish." Cal groaned, troubled even more as the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"_What_?" Gillian gasped while Ria bolted up from her seat.

"He cannot be serious." she concluded, though she couldn't exactly say she was confident in her own words. "I know he can be a little…reckless; like when he had that crazy plan to save you. But, this is just over the top."

"Hasn't he ever heard the term, 'don't be a hero?'" Reynolds growled, huffing and folding his arms. "I should've known your whole team was crazy, Lightman."

"You lot are making it sound like he _has_ to die." Cal informed them irritably. "He is _not_ going to be killed. Even if I am some sort of a lunatic, I'll never be that insane." They all sighed as they realized they were coming to drastic conclusions. Eli would only die in the worst case scenario, and that would have to be ridiculously bad. Why were they assuming he wasn't going to make it out of there alive? He would be back in no time, speaking bluntly and shrugging off Cal's insults.

"What are you blokes standing around for? Let's get to work on getting Eli out!" Cal ordered.

* * *

"We have a proposition for the deal." the leader announced as he and his buddies, except one, strolled into the lobby. The man wiped his hands on one of the customary fast food napkins and leaned on the counter casually. Eli looked up from his slouched position, quickly pulling himself to his feet.

"Great, talk to me." he said in a rough voice; he was probably dehydrated. He could feel his muscles shiver and his mouth was dry; his voice clawed up his throat every time he spoke.

"We'll agree to let the two hostages go if..." the crook paused, as if he was aiming for dramatic effect. Eli waited, staring at him expectantly. "if the police, SWAT—whoever—will agree to keep their hands off us." Eli opened his mouth to protest, but the look on his captor's face kept him from doing so.

"I'll call right away." he whispered, picking up the phone and dialing the number. Lightman would never agree to this.

_"Lightman."_ Cal greeted.

"They have something to offer." Eli explained quickly, eager to get this over with. Somehow he would convince Lightman to accept this deal, since he wasn't sure if he could convince the criminals.

_"Spit it out then!"_ Cal ordered, using his high-pitched tone of impatience.

"They will release the two other hostages if you can get all the authorities to agree not to lay a finger on these guys." Eli croaked, trying to sound casual, despite how nervous the look on the crooks' faces made him feel. Sure, they haven't shot anyone yet, but that could change...maybe. Perhaps they really were too wimpy to actually put a bullet in somebody. Maybe the leader had purposely missed Eli...

_"Do you honestly think that's going to happen?" _Lightman scoffed, his voice drenched disbelief. _"Those people in front of the bank aren't going to just...walk away from this case!" _ Eli sighed and risked a glance at his captors.

"Come on, Lightman; you've got to do something." he muttered, nearly pleading. He turned partially and looked at the bankers worriedly; they stared at him with hopeful expressions, nearly breaking his heart. Had he made a promise he just couldn't keep? Would they ever see their kids again?

_"Loker, you know as well as I do that they'll laugh in my face if I so much as mention it!" _Cal huffed. _"Can't they settle for something a little more...probable?" _Eli could hear the stress in his boss's speech, and the thieves were scowling in his direction.

He was in between a rock and a hard place.

Shakily, Eli took the phone from his ear and covered the receiver with his other hand. With a deep breath, he bravely faced the frowning men.

"Um...they aren't quite sure that's possible...Is there anything else you want?" Eli asked quietly. The leader's expression deepened and Eli could read his mood all too well: extreme contempt. It was the face of a dangerous man. If he could think of some witty remark to wriggle out of this, he would have used it promptly.

"Whoa!" Eli shouted when the man pulled out his gun again. Immediately, Eli threw up his hands, surrendering. What did that mean? Was it a threat, or for real?

"Tell him to make it possible!" the man shouted, pulling the trigger.

* * *

Cal couldn't believe what Eli had asked him. Pulling the police force away from a case was like trying to pull a lollipop away from a sugar addict: it just wasn't going to happen. Lightman had ordered Eli to ask for something both sides could agree on, ignoring Eli's tense voice and pleas. Now, Cal was waiting for a reply; that's all.

_"Woah!"_ he heard faintly on the other end and looked up at the screen.

His chest tightened at the image. Did he just send Eli do his death?

Eli stood with his hands up, still gripping onto the phone. One man aimed his gun at the young researcher and everything seemed to go quiet as Cal listened for anything else on the other end.

_"Tell him to make it possible!"_ shouted a far away voice, followed by a loud crack and making Cal flinch at the sound. The Loker on the camera feed collapsed, dropping the phone and gripping his shoulder tightly.

"Bloody hell..." Cal breathed, hearing Loker's yelps of pain on the other end.

"For the love of—Cal, what happened?!" Gillian demanded, looking at him with panic flitting through her eyes. He didn't reply, but stared at the screen while shock pulsed through him in several waves. By the third throb of astonishment, his brain finally caught the message.

Eli was shot.

Holy heavens, Eli was shot. These guys really did mean business.

_"Tell them to make it happen!" _shouted the man again, kicking Eli harshly and striking fear into Cal. The team could only stare at what was on the screen before them, and that really wasn't much of a comfort. Eli crawled closer to the dangling phone, still holding one hand to his shoulder. After awhile, Cal could hear his ragged breathing on the other end and his heart pained to hear it.

"...Lightman..." Eli began, gasping before he could go on. "...please, Lightman...please...get these two...out of here..." Cal was speechless, left staring at the plasma screen without so much as a thought of how to reply.

"I'll do what I can, Loker. I swear I will do what I can." Cal finally said, hesitantly ending the call. The team looked to their leader while he gazed at the phone in his hand.

"Reynolds..." Cal addressed, and Ben immediately responded to his call.

"Yeah, Lightman?"

"Tell all the authorities to stand down." Cal said quietly, looking sincerely at Ben.

"_What_? That's not going to go over, Lightman." Reynolds replied quickly. Cal's eyes narrowed into a hearty glare that even had the agent stumbling back.

"Get. on. the. phone." Cal commanded through clenched teeth.

Ben swiftly obeyed, even though he didn't think it would help anything.

* * *

Eli almost couldn't believe what had just happened. He could hear the three men chuckle as though nothing had happened, chatting about their everyday lives. The two bankers were breathing deeply, but hardly moving at all. As mentioned, Eli _almost_ couldn't believe what had just happened. There was only one thing standing between him and full doubt...Oh, right, the flippin' hole in his body.

The searing pain in his shoulder was affecting his senses and the stress was starting to tear at his emotional strength. He wanted to kill Lightman and cry about his predicament at the same time. Eli just wished he wouldn't have had to get groceries after work, then he wouldn't have been in the bank in the first place. Stupid groceries...

Eli supposed he was confused, as he wasn't quite sure his train of thought was logical. His vision fuzzed on the edges and the disgusting texture of blood wet his left hand. At least his wound wasn't as serious as it _could've _been. Eli wasn't dead...

Yet.

* * *

_Author's Note: *gasp* I love cliff hangers. :) Reviews please!_


	6. One Man Quitting, One Man Fighting

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Ah, yes, I finally got to some Eli whumpage. XD People who've read my other stuff should've known it was coming. :P Anyway, new chapter: enjoy. :D  
_

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**6. One Man Quiting, One Man Fighting**

"No, you listen to me: tell your men to stand down, or we're going to have a murder on our hands." Ben snarled into the receiver. Cal was satisfied with how Reynolds was conducting his task; after all, he probably would say the same things.

"We have a dangerous man in that bank and he's not afraid to shoot someone, understand? We can't take any chances. He wants you people to stand down; get out of his hair." Ben replied to the chatter on the other line. Fed up, Cal grabbed the cell phone from the agent.

"Get your damn people away from the bank!" he demanded, and the voice on the other line went quiet. "You're only getting in the way." Cal handed the phone back to Reynolds, who looked serious, but slightly pleased as well. Cal waited as he listened, rubbing his face with one hand and glancing back up at the camera feed. Eli was curled up, applying pressure to his injury.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Ben said sharply, smirking at his victory. A single _beep_ indicated he ended the call and the team stared at him, waiting for him to announce the verdict.

"They're pulling back; they won't touch the criminals." Ben explained, smiling slightly at this great feat. They had achieved what they had thought was improbable, and none of them could help but feel a taste of happiness bloom within them.

"I'll call Loker." Lightman mumbled, picking up the office phone and quickly punching in the now-memorized digits to connect to the bank. He stared at the plasma screen, anxious for someone to pick up.

* * *

The shrill sound of the ring tone startled the two bankers. Eli chose to ignore it; he was a bit busy at the moment.

"Answer the phone." the crook ordered casually. Eli groaned softly and tried to pull himself up. He didn't want to, and he found it rather difficult to fight against his own will.

"Get up!" the man shouted, and before Eli knew what was happening, he was being yanked up by his shirt and a sharp pain pulsed in his shoulder, causing him to gasp.

"Answer it."

Eli was shoved towards the counter, only stopping when his body collided with the lip of it. Weakly, he picked up the phone and put it to his ear.

"H-hello...?" he rasped, leaning heavily on the counter. His left hand was smearing blood on the surface and his head was bowed from weariness.

_"Loker, we got the police to stand down." _Lightman told him, and Eli attempted a weak smile, despite the fact that his boss couldn't see him.

"That's....that's great." he huffed, sneaking a sly look at the robbers. They were staring at him, their eyebrows furrowed in importance.

_"Are you alright, Loker?"_

"I'm...I'm fine...Nothing to worry about..." Eli mumbled. "Hold on...I'll tell them the good news." He removed the phone from his ear and turned slightly to look at the boss.

"They got the police to stand back..." he croaked. "release these hostages." The thief walked over to the window and peeked through the blinds, studying the situation outside.

"Alright, get out of here." he muttered to the two bankers. They immediately stood and ran towards the door, stopping at the glass to look back at Eli. Eli caught their expressions of worry and fear, but he waved them away, eager to get them out. Once they were gone, he would only have himself to worry about.

With a single glance at the thieves, the two employees didn't need any more convincing and left the building promptly. Eli slid to the floor, the phone still in hand.

"They're out..." he sighed into the receiver. "They're out..." The phone slid out of his hand and dangled off the side of the counter. Eli was finished with his task. He didn't care if he ever got out, or died here. He was done.

_"Loker?" _Lightman's voice said loudly. _"Loker!"_

Loker was done.

* * *

"He's not talking to me anymore." Cal growled as he slammed the phone down. "I'm heading down there."

"Are you crazy? They said they wanted everyone to stand down!" Ben protested.

"You'll get yourself _and_ Loker killed if you go down there." added Gillian with a nervous nod.

"No, they said they wanted the _police_ to stand down." Cal corrected. "Last time I checked, I'm only a consultant. _I_ can still do somethin'." He exited the lab, heading to his office swiftly.

"What are you planning to do?" Ben called after him, following with Gillian and Ria behind him.

"I'm planning to get my employee back." Cal answered, slipping into his office. The rest of the team followed, not taking their eyes off him.

"Yeah, but _how_?" Ria pressed, just as Cal stopped in front of a safe. He knelt down, quickly twisted the combination lock and opened it up. In a flurry of clicks and scraping metal sounds, he readied himself a pistol.

"My heavens, Cal. Are you going to kill them?" Gillian asked, concerned about his sanity.

"If I have to." he grunted, standing up straight again. The room was quiet as they all stared at him.

"Hand me one of those." Ria demanded, holding out her hand. Cal gave her an incredulous look.

"Are you serious?" he inquired, inspecting her thoroughly.

"Look, I grew up in a...unfriendly neighborhood," she confessed. "It's not like I've never held a gun. Give it to me." After a short bout of hesitation, Cal bent down again to retrieve another pistol. In a minute, the cold metal was firmly placed in her hand.

"I guess I really shouldn't be allowing this..." Ben sighed as he witnessed the handling of the firearms. "but, I'm not about to stop you."

"Good." Cal muttered. "I would ask you to come but..."

"No cops: got it." Reynolds replied, folding his arms with a weak smile.

"Let's go get Eli." Cal murmured.

* * *

Eli just wanted to be home. Sure, it wasn't much of a home right now, since it lacked proper food and a certain cheer to it. But, home was home, and that was exactly where he wanted to be.

"Stop being a wimp." barked the leader as he paced in front of his gathered cronies. Eli rolled his eyes, then closed them again.

"Shut up." he croaked. What did he have to worry about now? He was already shot, and the hostages were gone: there was nothing to fear now.

"What?" the man replied, stunned.

"I said, 'shut up.'" Eli told him, a little louder. "I can be a friggin' wimp if I want to."

"What makes you think you can talk to me like that?" the crook said, obviously appalled at this behavior. Eli opened his eyes and glared at the criminal.

"I have a boss like you: demanding, outwardly insensitive, short-tempered..." Eli grumbled, but still clear enough to be heard. "I have to take that every day. Well, now I'm shot and I want to be a wimp. So, shut up, and let me do what I'm doing; I'm not even bothering you." The man narrowed his eyes, obviously angered by Eli's stubbornness. His lips were pursed and his brow was creased with fury.

"Well, now we're leaving. Get up." he ordered. Eli sighed.

"I'm not getting up. Why would you need me anyway?" he spat weakly.

"As a safety precaution, in case some cops decide to step back over the line." answered the crook. "Now, get up."

"No."

"Get the frick up!"

"I'm not going to."

"Get up!" the crook shouted, pulling out his gun as a threat. Eli exhaled with irritation, frowning as he pressed harder on his wound.

"No."

There was a deep emotion of rage splattering across the criminal's face.

"You asked for it!"

_Bang!_

"Agh!" Eli yelled through clenched teeth as a bullet bit through his abdomen. "For the love of everything holy!" He gripped onto his stomach with all the strength he could muster, this shot much more painful than the one now dulling in his shoulder. This was fresh pain and it pulsed through him like electricity in water.

"Somebody get him." snarled the leader as he walked away. Eli heard footsteps and someone pulled him up roughly, making his gunshot injuries flare up heavily. He whimpered unintentionally, which was the only thing keeping him from yelping entirely.

"Get movin'." snarled his captor, pushing him along. Eli did what he could to drag his feet, but there was only so much he could do. He wasn't focused, he wasn't thinking logically.

Somehow, they ended up outside. From the looks of things, it was the back of the bank, and Eli wearily took a look around him. He turned to the man gripping firmly to his good shoulder, swallowing in an attempt to moisten his dry throat.

"Can you just shoot me for real?" Eli croaked. "Like, could you actually kill me this time?" The man snorted and looked to his leader.

"Are we bringing him along?" he asked.

"Unfortunately." the boss sighed, opening the back doors of a white van. Men started tossing large duffle bags of money inside, a greedy gleam in their eyes.

"I forgot my hamburger..." Eli mourned.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Ria asked Ben as Cal sped down the roadway.

_ "I'm positive. I just saw the guys head towards the back with Eli. If they aren't behind the bank, I don't know where they could be."_ Ben explained.

"Okay, thanks." she concluded and hung up the phone.

"What? What is it?" Cal inquired impatiently as he passed through a barely-turned red light.

"Reynolds says the robbers should be out back." she relayed. "And...they have Loker. They shot him again." Cal pressed the pedal to the metal.

"I'll be damned if I let them drive away with _my_ bloody employee." he growled. Ria smiled, not sure if Cal was using the common British term, or really meant that Eli was bloody. Eventually he realized the pun and shot her a glare.

"Say nothing, alright?" he barked.

"Woah, woah! Turn here!" she shouted, and the tires squealed as he sharply swerved into the spot she indicated.

There they were.

Eli was being held tightly by a big, muscular man, covered in his own blood and looked absolutely ragged. The criminals were, currently, tossing bags into the back of a van, stopping as they saw Cal approach.

Cal stepped on the brakes, quickly pulled the car into park and leapt out of the vehicle. Ria was only a few seconds after him, the gun held in her hands with experience.

"Give me Loker." Cal demanded, aiming his own gun at the leader.

"I would if he wasn't my ticket out of here." drawled the leader, looking at Eli with irritation and contempt.

"You're not going anywhere until you give him back to us." Ria said bravely. Eli slumped, looking as if he was about to collapse. Both Cal and Ria were pretty sure the only thing keeping him standing was the tough man holding him by the back of his shirt.

"I thought I told the cops to keep off our backs!" yelled the boss, looking furious.

"We're not the cops, idiot. We're deception experts." Cal informed him.

* * *

_Author's Note: Reviews please! Please, please, please! Reviews make me write. :)_


	7. Battle of the Bosses

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews and support, everybody! :) I hope I am writing this story to your satisfaction and that my writing style is easy enough for you to read. :D This story is coming to a close... But it's fun to write all the same. :) Please enjoy!  
_

* * *

**7. The Battle of the Bosses**

"What part of 'leave me behind' do you not understand?" Eli croaked, saddening his coworkers with his pathetic demeanor. He slumped in his captors grip and spoke weakly, even when he meant to add a certain commanding tone.

"The whole lot of it." Cal replied. "Do you know how hard it will be to find another researcher as ridiculous as you?"

"Not very." Eli muttered, taking a shuttering breath. "I've already...found someone...to replace you...as my cruel boss..." His speech only confirmed how weary he was, being quiet and spaced between breaths. "Although...for a bunch...of bad guys...they don't know...how to kill a man...properly..."

"Are you sure you want him back?" asked the leading crook, sounding doubtful of Cal's intentions.

"Of course I want him back. I hired him, and he's _my_ employee." Cal answered, his mood ruffled further by the question. The man's eyebrows popped up for a second in small surprise, but he did not look fazed by Cal and Ria's threatening conduct. He directed a curt nod to Eli's captor and the burly man pulled out a knife, quickly pulling Eli's head back and placing the blade on his throat. Ria let out a gasp at the movement, but Cal resorted to narrowing his eyes at the enemy.

"I think we all know what will happen if you pull the trigger." warned the leader, and his men continued tossing the money into the back of the van. Cal was vexed by this casual behavior and pure hatred coursed through his veins. Was an innocent man's life of so little worth? Right, Lightman had always referred to his team as something of a "toolbox"; which hardly showed any affection towards them as people, but, rather, as useful things in his collection. It wasn't true. Gillian was most certainly not something to use, but someone to appreciate. Reynolds, Torres, and even Loker were important people to have at The Lightman Group. Not because of their skills, but because of their personality. It was because of the different views and entertainment they added to both cases and the relationships within the office. These people built The Lightman Group way of life. From Eli's brave outbursts of radical honesty, to Ria's stubborn moments of obstinance...

They were important to him, and he didn't want to go a day without one of his team.

Without Eli, the days would most certainly be drab. And, should they find a suitable replacement with the same goofy composure, it would only be awkward, as they would all remember Eli mournfully. There was only one Eli Loker and only one who could pull off radical honesty; he was right there in front of them, a knife to his neck and living dangerously close to death. No, they could most certainly not 'leave him behind.' He was needed elsewhere, no matter how much of a fool he could be. How odd it was that a man that usually avoided contention was stuck in the middle of it.

"We're not letting you take him." Ria called, hardly taking her eyes off her foe. Cal could see she despised the man as much as he did, but it wasn't a surprise.

"No one cares!" shouted one of the henchman, closing up the back doors. Time was slipping away from them and Cal could only see one way this would end for Eli: death.

"Oof!"

They all cast their eyes to the muscular man holding Eli, who now doubled over. Eli tried to stumble away, rubbing his elbow. They could all tell, he'd jabbed his captor in the ribs.

Loker was back in the fight.

He yelped as the large man quickly recovered, grabbing Eli's leg and yanking back. Loker hit the asphalt with a pained groan, subdued as he was dragged across the rough ground.

_Bang!_

The burly man fell to the floor, holding his now bleeding leg and writhing in agony.

"Take that, you son of a hag." Ria muttered. Cal stared at her with awe, then quickly shook himself out of it to focus. All heck was breaking lose.

The rest of the robbers scrambled for their weapons, and stepped forward to recover their hold on Eli. After all, Loker was all they had to defend themselves: without him, their was nothing to hold Cal and Ria back.

_Bang! Bang!_

Two shots rang in the air as two more of the thieves toppled to the ground.

"You're a good shot." Cal complimented his sidekick.

"You're not so bad yourself." she returned with a smirk. Victory was in sight; there was only one man left: the leader. Unfortunately, their fingers stopped short of pulling the trigger one last time.

The boss had swiftly tugged Eli from the asphalt and now held him in front of him as a sort of shield. His gun was against Eli's temple, but Loker was too out of it to really notice.

"Nobody move!" cried the man desperately. He was without any useful allies, and his success was hanging by a thread. Loker was that thread.

Cal tried to think quickly how to get out of this mess. Loker looked to be feeling the effects of playing a rag doll in all this: his eyelids were closing dazedly and his body relaxed in weakness. But, Lightman couldn't think of any way out of this, and from the look on her face, neither could Ria.

_Bang!_

Cal stood still, unsure of what just happened. There was a gunshot, but not from him and not from Ria; thank heavens it wasn't from the criminal's gun either. Loker was still alive...

The thief fell to the asphalt, blood blossoming from his back: a kill shot. Cal and Ria hadn't been aiming to kill, so...who?

_Thud._

Eli collapsed to the ground, unmoving, but still breathing shivering breaths. From the side of the white van emerged a tall, muscular man...

"Reynolds?" Cal inquired, as he gazed with surprise.

"Quit staring and get over here and help, Lightman!" the agent demanded. Ria and Cal quickly tucked their guns away safely and ran to Loker's side. Ben turned the poor boy onto his back and they could all see the barely conscious researcher lazily glancing at each of them.

"I hate people..." Eli whispered, wincing.

"Don't talk." Ria said quietly.

"It's not like...I'll die if I do..." Eli huffed, grimacing and carefully setting a hand over his abdomen wound. "They can't seem to...kill me..." Ben brushed Eli's pale hand away and applied pressure to the injury. Loker's face settled into pain immediately, but smoothed out soon after. "Besides...I left my hamburger inside. I'm not going to leave it there." His whisper was becoming quieter, but his choice of words didn't seem to indicate his death was coming near. Ria couldn't help but grin.

"You know, you're a hero today, Loker." Cal told him with a smile.

"Yeah...I don't know...what came over me......" Eli sighed, his eyes coming to a close and his breathing becoming deeper.

"Eli?" Ria voiced, looking at Cal and Ben. "Eli?"

"He's out cold." Ben muttered. "I already called the medics. They should be here soon to pick him up and these...criminals." Cal looked around at some of the thieves that clung to their injuries with broken pride.

"Why did you shoot 'im?" Cal asked. "I thought we agreed: no cops."

"Right, like I was going to let you have all the fun." Agent Reynolds scoffed. "Part of my job is to protect you anyway. We'll just say...I was protecting Dr. Lightman." Cal smirked, then looked down at his unconscious employee.

Loker was going to survive; Cal just knew it.

* * *

"We were able to patch your guy up pretty well." the doctor explained. The team stood around him, listening to the report with intense interest. "Most people think a shot to the stomach would be a quick death, but it's quite slow...though painful. We had plenty of time to stitch him back up. He'll be fine with a lot of rest and a group of good friends." The doctor smiled and the team sighed with relief.

"As for your criminals, agent," the doctor continued. "My colleagues fixed them up just enough to throw them in prison." Ben smirked. "Yeah, I saw the news. Any sort of man that holds an _old lady_ hostage is definitely marked as a horrid person on my list." The doctor gave them a nod and excused himself to other duties.

The team looked at each other with amused expressions.

* * *

Eli groaned as he woke up to the pains of being a hostage. He was having a pleasant dream of gorgeous girls and substantial food...unfortunately, it ended. Actually, the smell of some sort of food lingered in the air, and he wasn't sure if he was still coming out of it, or if it actually existed.

He cracked open his eyes a little to take a small look around. On his chest lay a familiar bundle, wrapped in annoying, crinkly paper.

"My hamburger!" he rasped, his voice not quite strong. Somebody had been kind enough to retrieve his saved meal from the bank and bring it to him, though he wasn't sure if it was still good.

"It was a little hard to find, since it was hidden somewhere behind the bank counter." Ria explained, her heels tapping against the floor as she casually came to his bedside. "Glad to see you're finally awake." Eli looked Ria up and down. Ah, Torres. His beauty of a partner, only more beautiful by seeking out his carefully placed meal. Still, she looked tired; dark circles hung under her eyes.

"Thank you." Eli replied, setting a weak hand over the hamburger. There was no way he could eat it now; his stomach hurt too much. It would probably go bad before he was taken off liquids and Jell-o. "You look horrible."

"Like you should talk!" she protested, a smirk coming over her face. "You're the one in the hospital, remember?"

"No, not really." he muttered. "I don't remember ever getting here, but I'm glad to be anyway." He looked around the room, though his sights were limited by a stiff neck. "Where's Lightman? I for sure thought he'd be here to chew me out."

"He's catching some sleep, just like everybody else. We've all been waiting for you to wake up for a day and a half!" she scolded. "But I'm glad to see you awake." There was an awkward silence between them as Loker adjusted his position, wincing with the movement.

"You do know I won't be able to eat this..." Loker mourned aloud, staring longingly at the half-eaten hamburger.

"Yeah, I know. But, why did you only eat half? What kind of man are you when you can't even eat the whole thing?" she teased, pulling up a seat beside him.

"I got full! I wasn't going to eat more if I was already full!" he argued, though his voice was rough.

"Alright, take it easy, tough guy."

* * *

_Author's Note: Reviews, please!_


	8. The Truth is Presented, Lies Ensue

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with the television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Hmm...this is more of a filler chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. :) One more chapter, then it's all done... :( Thanks for all the reviews and support! I absolutely love it. :) Oh, and sorry this chapter took awhile to come out...it was a little hard to write and I had a speech to prepare for in my speech class and an exam and all that jazz... X.x Anywho...Enjoy!  
_

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**8. The Truth is Presented, Lies Ensue**

"I'm hungry." Eli stated. He'd only been awake for a couple of hours, so Ria didn't buy it.

"No, you're not." she replied, barely looking up from her reports. Eli sighed.

"Okay, maybe I'm not," he croaked. "but I _crave_ food."

"That's too bad." she mumbled. "You're on ice chips for awhile."

"Duuuumb." he groaned.

"What's dumb?" said a most familiar British voice. Eli looked up to find Cal Lightman strolling into the room, Foster and Reynolds close behind.

"He's whining, don't pay any attention." Ria muttered with a smile. The rest of the team grinned also, pleased that Eli was already well enough to complain.

"Hey, I'm injured! Be nice to me…" Eli responded, looking hurt by the lack of compassion.

"You're right: he is whining." Cal chuckled, seating himself down in one of the chairs. "Glad to see you're awake." Eli eyed Cal with considerable suspicion.

"Who are you and what have you done with Dr. Lightman?" Eli joked, attempting to gaze at his boss seriously.

"Funny, Loker…Funny…" Cal scoffed, sarcasm drenching his tone. Really, he was glad to see Loker in someplace other than the floor, covered in blood. He was actually surprised to see Eli so chipper so soon. Most everyone else would be grumbling and cranky; but, then again, this was Eli.

"Even though you _completely_ ignored my request…thanks for coming to get me." Eli said sincerely, clearing his throat as a sign of his embarrassment. The team smiled at him, encouraging his gracious behavior.

"Well, we did it because we actually like you." Cal teased, grinning.

"Oddly enough..." Reynolds added lightheartedly. Eli smiled faintly and looked down.

"I…have to admit," Loker mumbled. "the scariest part of the whole thing was seeing my deranged boss holding a gun." His smile widened and the team laughed quietly. A comfortable silence followed as they enjoyed each other's company, relieved after one of the most frightening days of their lives. The quiet was only broken by a quiet rap on the open door, catching the attention of all that were in the room.

"Can I come in?" asked a young woman. The team kept silent. Eli instantly recognized her, remembering the elderly lady hobbling along between them.

"Yeah, yeah! Please!" Eli replied, puzzling the rest of the team. They had only focused on Eli during this case, not the other hostages.

"Actually…I have…quite a few friends." she mumbled, looking behind her. "They all want to see you." An old, wrinkly face peeked from around the doorframe, smiling. Eli grinned.

"No, by all means, get in here!" he invited. The team waited patiently to see what all this was about, curious as to whom these people were. A good number of individuals filed in, though each one was enthusiastic to see Eli. Some of the women actually started to cry.

"Thank you so much for what you've done." the young woman said, taking the place as the group representative. "We watched the news that first day until we heard you had been taken to the hospital! We all decided to come when Dotty's daughter, who's a nurse here, said you had woken up." The woman gestured to the old woman, who nodded happily.

"Yes, she was keeping a watch on you the whole time." Dotty explained in her gentle, grandmother-like voice.

"I'm on the news?" Eli inquired excitedly. The team smiled as they witnessed his animation, feeling part of the happiness themselves.

"Yeah, they even mentioned The Lightman Group." Ria interjected with a grin. "You may have just piled more on our work load."

"Great." Eli laughed, in too much of a pleasant mood to be bothered. The room fell into a small moment of quiet, most of the people staring at Loker. Suddenly, his countenance lit up with realization.

"Oh, I guess I should introduce my coworkers!" Eli thought aloud. "Um, fellow hostages, this is the team that worked on our case: Dr. Lightman, Gillian Foster, Ben Reynolds and Ria Torres." He weakly pointed to each person as he said their names, and they responded by either nodding or smiling politely. "Unfortunately, I work with these people."

"I'm not that bad; am I, Loker?" Foster chuckled.

"Oh, no, Dr. Foster is the only nice one...sometimes." Loker teased, smirking.

"It is very nice to meet you." the young woman replied. "Thank you for doing what you could to get us out."

"It was our job." Lightman muttered, determined to avoid all awkward graciousness from the hostages.

"Well, my name is Sophia; and, going down the line, there's Dotty, Stan, Jane, Lorella, James, Theo and...Cassie." Sophia presented, exhaling as she finished her list of names.

"So..." Jane began, the young teller at the bank. "can you tell us anything about what happened the robbers?" Her voice was quiet and shy, but curiosity clearly seeped into her petite features. Eli cleared his throat and looked to Cal for aid. Lightman was a little surprised by this silent plea, but took the task upon himself anyway.

"Three are in custody and...one was killed in the shootout." he explained.

"Yes, we know that, but we want to know _details_." Lorella pressed, who—as Eli remembered—was the middle-aged bank employee.

"You _want _to know details?" Gillian asked, confused. "Most would rather not talk about it."

"No, we want to know." Stan confirmed and the other hostages nodded. Foster looked to Eli with a tender expression. He smiled in reply, solely for her own comfort.

"It's alright, Foster. It's probably better I know. I was basically out of it for half the shootout anyway." he explained with a smirk that came out more as a grimace. Liar. Lightman hesitated as he watched his young employee take deep, calming breaths.

"They..." he began, finally tearing his eyes away from Loker. "almost got away with it. When Torres and I got there, they were almost done throwing that bloody money into their car to drive away."

"Yeah, the jerks had a knife to Loker's throat; they were using him against us." Ria growled, her hate sparking in her eyes.

"Loker somehow got his way out of it, we shot the guys and Agent Reynolds shot the leader of the whole damn scheme." Lightman finished quickly, glancing over at the uneasy Eli.

"Wow..." Jane sighed. "That sounds...frightening!"

* * *

"That was nice of them." Gillian commented after the hostage crew had left. Lightman and Reynolds had gone to fetch something for the team to eat. Of course, they would probably move their eating party out to the waiting room, as to not torture Eli.

"Yeah...really nice..." Eli replied quietly, staring down at his fidgeting fingers.

"Are you alright?" Foster inquired, taking in his troubled countenance. Ria looked up from her paperwork that she had just returned to. Immediately, the obvious signs of discomfort fled from Eli's face and body language and he gave them a broad grin.

"I'm fine." he chimed, the slightest traces of his distressed feelings remaining. Liar. Ria was certain she had never seen him lie so much in a single day, even when he was trying to defend his job after releasing information he was forbidden to speak of. What made it so very painful was that he was fibbing to keep them happy.

"You don't have to lie to make us feel better." Ria informed him seriously. His grin faded and he was back to looking down and wringing his hands.

"No, maybe I'm...maybe I'm not okay." he muttered nervously, finally looking like a man that was almost killed. "But..." he looked up at the two women and gave them a small smile. "I will be." Gillian and Ria glanced at each other sadly, unsure of what to make of all this. He had been doing so well at acting like he was the happiest of men since he woke up. It was only when the line of hostages came to visit him, then he was forced to face the truth. Perhaps he couldn't handle it quite so nicely. Now it was all catching up to him.

The three spent their time in silence, the two women often looking up at Eli throughout the half an hour. He slumped against his pillow, staring into an invisible world. It was agonizing to automatically recognize the anguish he was feeling, struggling as he remembered what had happened while he was at the bank: the fears, the worry for his fellow hostages, the realization that he really had such a worthless life as to not care for its survival. Could he ever again look at a victim so casually? No, he couldn't possibly now. He had often tried to keep Gillian from caring so deeply for the suffering; he was now astounded of how he could've, and thankful at the same time that she was there for him. He didn't need her to talk to him, nor did he need to talk to her. Just knowing he had a team to support him was enough. He knew he would recover from this.

Someday, he'll be able to walk into a bank.

"Oi, food." Lightman announced, leaning from the doorway and looking at Gillian as she stared at the broken Eli. When she did not respond right away, he followed her gaze to his young employee. He was indeed a man in misery.

"Oh, right." Gillian laughed nervously, standing from her seat. Ria did the same, though looked back at Eli with worry.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gillian asked him. Even if it was somewhat cruel to eat in front of him, it would be better than leaving him alone in such a depressed state.

"Like I said," he mumbled, turning his gaze from the invisible world to Foster. "I will be."

For once, it was the truth.

* * *

_Author's Note: Awww...poor Eli. Please review! Then....only one more chapter. :(_


	9. The Pros and Cons of Banks

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with television series "Lie to Me" and I won't pretend to._**

_Author's Note: Oh! Last chapter. :) Yay, it's all done. It's a short chapter, but it wraps up the story, I suppose. :P Perhaps you Loker fans will like the ending. It was an interesting story to write, and now I can say that I have written a bank robbery story. ;) **Thank you so much**__to everyone that reviewed and read this story. You guys make me so happy! :D Oki doki, read and enjoy.  
_

* * *

**9. The Pros and Cons of Banks**

"Oi, Loker!" Lightman called, leaning out of his office. Eli's head snapped in his direction as he stopped abruptly. "You leavin' already?"

"Yeah, I promised I'd be there early to help get things together." Eli answered. It was only two weeks after the incident, but Sophia had already planned a get together for all the victims and their families. Of course, Lightman's team was invited and they all agreed to attend the occasion. Eli had previously cleared it with Lightman to leave work early and Cal wasn't about to deny him; he was stunned that Eli had chosen to come to work so shortly after the attempted robbery.

"Can you step in here for a moment?" Cal asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Eli answered, quickly making his way to Lightman's office. "What's up?" Cal closed the door and sighed. His gaze caught on the box of papers in Loker's arms and he raised an eyebrow.

"Should you be carryin' that?" Cal inquired, pointing at the box. Eli looked at him with a confused expression, then caught the idea.

"Oh! Right...Um, maybe not. But, I wasn't going to make Torres do it." he confessed. "It's fine, it's not that heavy. My shoulder feels fine."

"Give me that." Cal growled, taking the box and carrying it over to his desk. "Now, sit down." Immediately, Eli obeyed, seating himself in one of the chairs in front of Cal's desk. Cal went around his desk and sat in his own chair, opening a drawer and pulling out an envelope. He held it out to Loker with a steady stare, puzzling the young researcher.

"What's this?" Eli asked as he took hold of the envelope. He examined the front, hoping for a clue as to what it was. A nearly unimaginable possibility took root in his brain.

"Is this...?" Eli mumbled, looking at Cal with a face that matched a speechless man. Cal was grinning as he examined Eli's reaction.

"It's exactly what you think it is." he informed his employee. Eli looked down at the envelope with an expression of disbelief. Suddenly, a huge smile spread across Loker's guise. As soon as it had come, it disappeared, being replaced with a suspicious scowl.

"But...why now?" Eli queried, looking at his boss.

"I think you've done plenty to deserve a spot on the payroll." Cal chuckled. "But, don't let that get to your head. I'll take you back off if you do anything so stupid again!"

"Right, got it." Eli laughed, staring at the pay check in his hand with sparkling eyes. "I can finally get real food." He sighed happily and Cal's grin remained as he stood.

"You don't want to be late; do you, Loker?" Cal reminded the young man. Eli came back to reality and stood abruptly.

"Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed, tucking his pay check safely in his pants pocket. He was about to take the box of papers when Cal grabbed it first.

"Not a chance; I'm carrying it." he explained, leading the way out of the office. "What's in this anyway?"

"Uh...invitations." Loker replied as they began to walk down the hall.

"Aren't you supposed to send those _before_ the event?" Cal inquired, confused.

"Well...When I volunteered, Sophia put me in charge of sending invitations. I ended up emailing everybody that e-invitation...but I made it exactly like her design!" Loker answered.

"So...she did all that work for nothing?" Cal muttered.

"Basically..." Eli mumbled guiltily. "But don't tell her! I just have to tell everyone else not to..."

"I'm not worried about myself, Loker; I can actually lie believably. _You're _the lousy liar." Cal chuckled. Ria was coming up the hallway from the opposite direction.

"Oh, good." Cal sighed. "Torres, take this box for Eli." he muttered, shoving it in her arms and heading back to his office. "See you later, Loker!" Eli grinned as he watched him walk away, Ria beside him with a stunned look.

"Give me that." Eli said, taking the box.

"What was that about?" she inquired, following beside him as he continued to his car.

"He doesn't think I should be carrying this. I think he did it just to spite me; I told him I wasn't going to make you carry it." Eli explained, still smiling. She narrowed her eyes and snatched the box from him.

"Now what's your problem?" Eli groaned.

"Just 'cause I'm a woman doesn't mean I shouldn't carry this for you. After all, you should be trying to heal up." she answered, scowling.

"I was just trying to be polite." he informed her, shrugging and soon grimacing.

"See? You can't even shrug." she pointed out.

"It's really not something you should worry about." Eli quickly deflected. "I can carry the box just fine."

"I'm still carrying it." she said, concluding the conversation entirely. There was a half a minute of silence as they walked out to the parking garage.

"Oh, guess what." Eli commanded playfully.

"What?" she grumbled, expecting a random Eli-Loker-statement.

"I am going to a bank." he told her. She became puzzled, unsure if he was excited because he'd gotten over his short aversion to banks, or some other reason.

"I thought you pledged to never walk into a bank again." she stated, searching for some deeper addition to his comment.

"Ah, but I have _such_ a good reason to." he chuckled.

"Why? Some hott teller or something?" she teased.

"Nope." he replied, reaching into his pocket to retrieve something: an envelope.

"You got paid!" she exclaimed happily, grinning for his wonderful announcement

"Yes, I did."

Eli smiled.

* * *

_Author's Note: All done... Yay. :) Reviews, please? Did you like this story?_


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